How I Was Set Free From the Darkness of Depression

I’m not a doctor or a therapist. I can’t diagnose or treat depression. I can only offer you encouragement and thoughts from my own personal experiences. If you’re suffering from depression, please seek professional help (I highly recommend Pastoral Solutions Institute tele-counseling services). If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 immediately.

I remember the darkness.

The whole family had gathered around the dining room table. It was a typical holiday meal overflowing with food and fun.

But to me their mirth was raucous laughter. Their conversation was frivolous and obnoxious. Their jokes were abhorrent.

I couldn’t stand to be in their company.

So I grabbed my plate and retreated to the kitchen to pick at my meal in sullen silence.

Fast forward a few weeks.

My husband wanted a cut-your-own Christmas tree. Of course he did, we do it every year. It’s normally one of our favorite family traditions.

So I packed up the kids to go, but I hated every minute of it.

I raged at them to find their socks, to put their shoes back on, to zip their coats. I threatened to skip the whole trip and just stay home, but only because that’s what I really wanted.

I wandered indifferently up and down rows of trees, wishing they’d just pick one and get it over with.

Every so often I’d wipe my tears and attempt to smile for a picture, with marginal success.

If I could have skipped the whole holiday season that year, I would have. Which is crazy, because Advent and Christmas are always my favorite time of year.

That I knew every bit of advice he gave me would be in line with the Church’s teachings. That I could take his guidance and run with it.

I had always been wary of counseling because of fear.

Fear that it would be too hard a task to carry the burden of defending my faith to the very person trying to help me heal. Too hard to sift through secular philosophies to ensure they were on board with my deeply cherished Catholicism.

Finally, after trying for close to 18 months, we became pregnant(*). My mind and body were back to functioning normally and healthily.

(*Every woman’s body and situation is different. While my temporary experience with infertility arose from and was resolved alongside my depression, I don’t intend to imply that treatment for depression is a sufficient or universal treatment for infertility. Infertility is a heavy cross to bear, and my heart goes out to all who suffer from it in any way.)

On the other side

Not long after we found out we were expecting our fourth child, I was able to wean off both my antidepressant and my counseling.

I was given the clean bill of health.

I’ve continued to do my best to be aware of my emotional and mental state. I feel so empowered and filled with a wealth of knowledge and tools from my time in counseling.

I don’t fear relapse, even though I know it’s not an impossibility.

Instead, I feel confident.

Confident in my own ability to monitor my health.

To make changes and work towards wellness when I start to slide.

And confident that if I ever need help again, I know where to turn. And I know that it’s okay to get the help I need.

Not only is it okay, it’s brave.

And it’s holy.

And it’s humble.

To admit that I’m not perfect. That I’m flawed and I can’t do it by myself. I need the help of my family and friends.

I need the help of a counselor sometimes.

And I always need God’s help.

As the winter cold rolls around this year, so do the holiday blues. I find myself needing to fall back on some of my strategies from counseling.

I’ve pulled out my healthy mind platter checklist. I’ve reached out to others for support. I’ve fought off the desire to escape, and traded it with an effort to lean in to my vocation.

And I’m thinking and praying for others who might be suffering.

I’m praying for you

If you’re experiencing the winter blues right now, I’m praying for you.

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22 thoughts on “How I Was Set Free From the Darkness of Depression”

Thank you for sharing your life story and depression resource. The Catholic therapists in my archdiocese are so expensive, and I am wondering if you could share the price range for this online resource? If it is not too confidential :).

Hi Teresa! Just to clarify, this counseling is over the phone, not online. I paid about $120 per session. At the time I didn’t have insurance coverage, so I was responsible for the entire cost. However, I know some people who have had pastoral solutions covered by their insurance. If you give them a call, they are very helpful in explaining how that all works out!

It was amazing! I know there are plenty of people who do well with secular counseling, too. But I think God leads us all down our different paths, and this was definitely what He wanted for me. Thank you for your encouragement, Leslie!

I came home trying to find out the truth about who my birth mother really is and have researched what my family told me about themselves and other family members. They all turned out to be lies behind except for the things I do remember and those memories are difficult for me to face. That’s why I left at 14 years of age and after they got me back I left before I graduated high school but I managed to get my GED the day after I dropped out and moved to Arizona to become a travel agent. Then things started to happen in my family and memories started to flood me about my childhood. So today I am here trying to find out the truth. Who I am, why as a child my stepmother who had Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy tormented me and other things. Can you help me?

Hi, Leslie, I’m not a counselor, and I can’t provide the help you need. However, I can and will pray for you! And I encourage you to get in touch with the counselors at Pastoral Solutions to help you work through this difficult time in your life. Here’s their contact information: catholiccounselors.com 740-266-6461

Sara- this is so well written. Thank you for sharing your story and all of the wonderful resources. I want to look into the Healthy Mind Platter because I think that would be an excellent resource. We all need to be aware of taking care of ourselves so we can fulfill the plans that God has for us. I am so thrilled that you were able to experience freedom. Bless you!

Thank you for sharing your story, Sara. I can relate, as I was in a very dark place 14 years ago. Like you, I was confusing what’s psychological & what’s religious. Anyway, I took the plunge with treatment that has included medication, therapy, and numerous life style changes over the years. It certainly took a lot of time and effort to reach a place of stability but I grew towards it. Thanks be to God, I am able to live now, as a mature Catholic. God bless you 🙂

Thank you so much for sharing this valuable resource! It will definitely be handy for so many – either for those who need it, or as a guide to help another friend gently recommend to a friend who needs the resource.

Too often, people write off their symptoms as “oh, it’s just a reaction to…” but when they honestly look back, they realize it has been something they’ve been explaining away for far too long of a time. Reaching out and getting the help to rise above and regain their health is so very vital!

Kudos to you for reaching out!! And, way to provide another resource for those in need!

“Too often, people write off their symptoms as “oh, it’s just a reaction to…’”

Anni, YES! That’s exactly true. It’s so hard to see the big picture, especially when you’re living inside of it. I’m so grateful for my friend who helped me see the root of the problem, and you’re right, I hope this article helps others do the same.

This is an amazing article. Thank you so much for not blaming the individual for not “believing enough” or “praying enough”. It takes great courage to reach out for help. So glad you are doing better!!

Thank you! I spent a lot of time blaming myself for exactly those things. I thought it was my fault, and that I was a terrible person for feeling and believing the way I did. I don’t want anyone else to feel that way! Praying to spread the message of hope and healing!

Thank you for being so honest and vulnerable. This is such an important topic to discuss, especially among people of faith. Thanks for introducing me to Pastoral Solutions! I definitely need to check them out. I’ve always felt like I couldn’t share all of myself in a therapy session since I couldn’t talk as much about my faith.

Many insurances work with them, it’s definitely worth looking into! Our insurance at the time didn’t cover it, so we paid 100% out of pocket. But I can still say that it was absolutely worth every penny we paid, and every sacrifice it took to make it happen. I felt completely comfortable being honest about everything that was going on in my life, and integrating my Faith into the discussion!

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It drives me bonkers when people simplify depression to being merely spiritual or merely physical when it can be one, the other, or both. I so appreciate that you shared this resource that takes into account the whole person.